FRANK: ICS close to escaping mortgage business

JEFF FRANK - jfrank@nctimes.com

Say one thing about the folks at Interfaith Community Services,
they know how to put on a good show at an annual meeting. In
addition, of course, to the thousands of people they help over the
course of a year.

Once a year, Suzanne Stewart Pohlman and company share with as
many of the agency's volunteers are able to escape their daily
routines just what Interfaith has been up to over the preceding 12
months, and what lies ahead. Except Interfaith's executive director
is always looking ahead, even when she's looking back.

Which is why even in these most difficult economic times ---- a
period when demand for services provided by the agency is up around
50 percent over what it was two years ago ---- Pohlman had good
news to report.

Around the time of the 2009 annual meeting, Interfaith launched
a capital campaign called "Lifting Up Our Neighbors." The plan was
to ask supporters able to do so to contribute toward retiring $4.5
million in mortgages on four Interfaith properties.

It's a pretty audacious thought in the midst of the worst
economy in 70-plus years to try to raise an extra 4 1/2 million
bucks. Talk about blood from a stone. Many of Interfaith's former
donors are finding themselves relying on the agency for assistance
because of job layoffs or cutbacks. They're hardly in a position to
help.

Yet when Pohlman took the stage in front of about 500 volunteers
Wednesday at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, she was
able to report that all but $650,000 of that nut has been covered.
Three of the mortgages are completely paid off. All that's left is
the balance on the 72-unit veterans housing complex in
Oceanside.

Pohlman doesn't figure on waiting another year to complete the
campaign.

"We plan to invite you very soon for a ceremony to retire that
fourth mortgage," she said. "Our feeling is that any man good
enough to shed blood for our country is good enough to deserve a
square deal afterward."

Retiring the $4.5 million will allow Interfaith to save around
$370,000 a year in interest costs, money it can apply to directly
to programs and services to meet increasing demand.

Illustrating what can be accomplished with those extra dollars
were current and former clients of Interfaith who shared stories of
how the agency's programs helped turn their lives around.

There was Jesus, a former gang member and drug peddler, nowfinishing school with a goal of joining the military, then becominga police officer. And Elsa, once homeless, now the proud holder ofa bachelor's degree from Cal State San Marcos, a job at the VistaCourthouse and who hopes to go to law school. And Tom, a veteranwho lost everything in the economic crash and found himselfhomeless. He now has an apartment and a security job at Lockheed
Martin.

Multiply each story by 35,807, the number of individuals served
by Interfaith's staff, volunteers and 440 affiliated faith
organizations over the past year.

Lunch was to follow the meeting. But first, to celebrate how
close it has come to completing its campaign, Interfaith held a
mini barbecue. On the menu was filet of mortgage. As volunteers
watched on a pair of big screens in the church sanctuary, Melvin
Moss and Jim Farley dropped three rolled-up, paid-off mortgages
onto a charcoal grill and saw them go up in smoke.

Moss made a major gift toward paying off Corinne's Cottage, a
shelter for homeless older women named after his late wife. Farley
is president and CEO of the Leichtag Family Foundation, which made
a $1 million challenge grant to pay off the other two mortgages.
Betty and Melvin Cohn also contributed a sizable matching
grant.